


All-Kinds-of-Leaves (or, The Bee Boy)

by eafay70



Category: Football RPF
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Eventual Happy Ending, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Villain Character Death, forced stripping
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-06
Updated: 2018-03-10
Packaged: 2019-01-30 08:00:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12649434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eafay70/pseuds/eafay70
Summary: Prince Mario is sent to marry the ruler of a distant land, only for his trusted knight to steal his place and leave him helpless in the woods. Can a magical pile of leaves, a lovable bear, and identically named bees help him save the land?Or, an A/B/O remix of "Allerleirauh" and "Die Gänsemagd".





	1. Into the Woods

**Author's Note:**

> A year ago today, I joined Archive of Our Own. I'm very glad I did so, and I hope this fic expresses that somehow.
> 
> If I were to assign actual giftees to this fic, I would run the risk of someone getting left out, which would make me very unhappy. So instead, I'm using this space to thank the dear friends I've made on this site for your time, your words, and your talent. <3 You know who you are.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our story begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy!

There once lived a young prince named Mario. He was sent by his father the king to marry the sovereign of a distant land, accompanied by the trusted knight Josep. Mario was nervous, but he was also hopeful that he could learn to love the distant sovereign. So he began his journey, promising to send word from his new home once a wedding date was set.

The journey went smoothly until they crossed the border out of Mario’s homeland. They were in a large forest which would take a few days to traverse, and night had already fallen, so Josep suggested they eat supper and rest. Mario dismounted agreeably and drank the wine Josep offered him, falling asleep almost immediately.

Unfortunately, Mario awoke less than an hour later to the sound of Josep muttering in an unknown language. Mario tried to sit up, but he could barely move his limbs. “Josep?”

“Ah, yes.” Josep walked over with a frightening grin. “I wanted you awake for this.”

“For what?” Mario didn’t like how Josep leaned over him and reached for his royal robes. “Josep, what are you doing?”

Josep didn’t say a word – he simply grabbed Mario’s royal robes and pulled them from his body. Mario wanted to scream, but only managed to whimper as Josep ran his eyes up and down the prince’s naked body. Josep shook his head in disgust. “Given how handsome and beautiful your relatives are, I had hoped that you would be a stunning creature, not so…terribly plain. You’re completely unworthy of such a wonderful fiancé.”

Tears stung Mario’s eyes, but he ignored them for the sake of answers. “Why are you doing this?”

“Figure it out.” Josep punched Mario’s nose, then shoved his bleeding face into the clothing for about a minute. The taller man then threw the ruined garb onto Mario’s steed and slapped it with the shout, “Go home!” The horse took off running.

“They’ll think I’ve been killed.” Mario’s face fell in despair.

“Which means they won’t contact my future spouse.” Josep mounted his own steed. “You’ll be able to move again in the morning, unless of course you’ve died, which is quite probable. But, to be on the safe side, I mixed in the wine a secrecy potion. You shall tell not a soul any of this.”

With that, the traitor rode off, leaving Mario helpless. The young prince closed his eyes and cried himself to sleep, hoping that Josep would not harm the sovereign or anyone else.

When Mario awoke the following morning, he immediately sensed something lightly touching his skin. He looked down and saw that an assortment of leaves had fallen on top of him. As he carefully moved his limbs, the leaves clung to him like a garment. “It must be a sign,” Mario marveled. “What could it mean?”

As if to answer his question, a brown bear slowly walked up to him. The bear wore a jeweled collar, and Mario recognized the center insignia. “You’re from the royal court which I was meant to join!” Mario got on all fours so he was eye-level with the bear, not wanting to frighten it. “Could you please lead me there? I want to see if Josep means further harm.” The bear began to walk through the trees, and Mario followed him carefully the entire day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tips regarding the tags are appreciated in terms of Josep's actions in this chapter. I've tried my best, but I'm just not certain.


	2. At the Palace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mario follows the bear to the palace. Whom does he meet?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate to admit it, but I couldn't figure out if Nuri has green, hazel, or brown eyes. :( But they're very pretty eyes! :)

After a number of days and nights, the bear and Mario were out of the forest. Specifically, they reached the river surrounding the palace in the middle of the night; Mario supposed that the bear’s insistence on traveling for at least a few hours every night came from homesickness.

The bear lay down beside the river and fell asleep quickly. Mario felt too nervous about what could happen the next day to sleep, so he decided to swim in the river. The leaves seemed to read his thoughts, for they slipped off his body on their own accord – Mario could only guess that whatever magic held them together like patchwork would be ruined by the water. Without overthinking the matter, he slipped into the river and began to swim.

Mario kept his eyes closed as he swam; he didn’t want to think about the last time he had been this exposed. As a result, he didn’t see anything in the river until he bumped into it. He opened his eyes to see what it was – and gasped when he saw that ‘it’ was a ‘he’ standing in the river.

Mario couldn’t help but stare into the man’s beautiful eyes, especially since those eyes were staring right into his own. It felt like an eternity, but was probably only a minute, before Mario’s gaze began to wander down the other man’s perfect body in all its glory.

…In all its glory?!

The realization hit Mario like a punch to the face: The man standing before him was completely naked – and so was he! And the other man’s gaze was wandering, too!

Mario yelped and scrambled out of the river – or, to be more precise, he attempted to scramble out of the river, but wound up stumbling over his own feet. He expected to fall face-first against the bottom of the river, but the other man’s arms caught him in time and lifted him onto the riverbank. “Forgive me for startling you,” the arms’ owner whispered. “I couldn’t sleep, so I walked out here. Something within me told me to join you.”

“It’s fine,” Mario whispered. “Everything is fine.”

The other man inhaled deeply, as if he wanted to take in Mario’s scent. Mario had never seen anyone do that before, but it fascinated him – everything about this man fascinated Mario.

“Tell me we will meet again,” the man whispered. Mario shook his head. “Why not?” Mario shook his head again, not wanting to speak because of the lump in his throat. “Don’t be sad,” the man whispered. “If you can’t make it happen, then I will. Until then…farewell.” He walked away slowly.

Mario quickly dressed in his leaves and curled into a ball on the ground, crying himself to sleep.

He woke up the following morning when the bear jumped in the river and splashed him playfully. Mario stood up to get a good look at the palace and surrounding grounds. “You have a beautiful home,” he told the bear, who growled happily as if to thank Mario for the compliment.

“Berni!” A cheerful voice prompted the bear to leap across the river in pure joy. “Berni, you’re home! Why did you run away, silly old bear?”

The speaker, whom Mario could barely see because the bear had tackled her to the ground, continued to welcome the bear – Berni? – home. Eventually, the bear ran back to the river, giving Mario the chance to see that the speaker was a wise-looking woman. She walked up to the bear and smiled at Mario. “And who might you be, lad?”

“Mario of -” His voice stopped before he could say “Memmingen.”

“Mario,” the woman repeated. “I’m Abigail. I work in the palace kitchen. Berni is supposed to be a palace pet, but he ran off and apparently found you. Are you any good with lifting things?”

“I always beat my brother when we tried carrying heavy items,” Mario replied honestly.

“Then it’s fate – Berni has found me a new helper!” Abigail helped Mario step over the river. “His Serene Highness is awaiting the arrival of his fiancé next week – once that happens, there will be three balls leading up to the wedding. I can’t wait!”

“Do you know anything about the fiancé?” Mario followed Abigail across the grounds.

“He’s the younger Prince of Memmingen. Our custom is to keep his given name a secret until the wedding ceremony – not even His Serene Highness knows it, because the ambassadors handled the negotiations with Memmingen. The ambassadors say it’s a good match because the young Prince is inexperienced in the ways of the world but eager to learn, while His Serene Highness has traveled the world extensively and is eager to share his knowledge with his new mate.”

Mario nodded. “I hope they’re happy together.” Deep in his heart, he added a prayer that Josep would be satisfied with the suffering he’d inflicted on Mario and therefore leave His Serene Highness in peace.

“I believe they will be.” Abigail stopped in front of a group of structures resembling stacked boxes. “I asked about your ability to lift things because of these: the royal beehives, home to the Emmas.”

“The Emmas?” Mario repeated. “The bees are called Emma?”

“Exactly.” Abigail pointed to the flowerbeds a short distance away, where the bees were at work. “They produce a lot of honey, which means lifting very heavy frames, among other tasks.”

Mario nodded in understanding. “And I presume the bees aren’t dangerous?”

“Correct.” As if on cue, the bees began to return to the hives, buzzing in circles around Mario. “They like you! It’s meant to be!”

Mario smiled. “I agree.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The 'frames' of a beehive are the parts where the famous honeycombs are formed. If the bees make a lot of honey, then the frames are heavier from all that honey.


	3. Complications

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things become more difficult in the palace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long! My personal life has been a mess, and I was very stuck on this part for some reason. A very big thank you goes to WinterSnow10 for helping me get unstuck!

Mario had been at the palace for a few days when Josep rode up to the palace. Naturally, everyone gathered in the royal courtyard to watch His Serene Highness greet his fiancé; Mario was a little disappointed that he couldn’t see what was going on, but he could certainly hear every word Josep said.

“My horse struggled in the forest and delayed my arrival, Your Serene Highness. I present you with this spiced wine, symbolizing the richness of our life together.”

“Thank you.” The voice seemed familiar, but Mario wasn’t sure why. “My advisors will meet with you to begin planning the wedding.”

The crowd dispersed. Abigail and Mario returned to the kitchen and resumed their normal tasks.

A few hours later, there was a knock on the door. Abigail opened it to reveal a tall woman in a gray dress was. “I need your help, Abigail,” the woman said.

“Of course, Ida-Ruth.” Abigail led her inside the kitchen. “This is my new assistant, Mario. Ida-Ruth is a healer who tends to His Serene Highness.”

“He’s why I’m here.” Ida-Ruth sat on a stool and explained further. “He went into rut a few days ago. It seemed like a normal rut until he drank the wine from his fiancé – it made him faint almost instantly. His body seems to be fighting the rut somehow. He’s too ill to leave his bed, never mind attend three balls and get married.”

To Mario’s surprise, Abigail pointed to his shoulder. “Ida-Ruth, are those thumb leaves?”

Ida-Ruth looked at his shoulder and nodded. “Do you know what thumb leaves do, Mario?”

“No,” he replied. “I only know that they’re called thumb leaves because of their shape.”

“That’s right,” Ida-Ruth said. “Thumb leaves are used to stop heat or rut. With your permission, I’d like to add a few of them to a soup for His Serene Highness. It should help him recover.”

“Of course.” Mario carefully picked off some of the leaves and made a pile on the table. He helped Abigail and Ida-Ruth prepare the soup. When it was ready to be served, Mario volunteered to take it: “I’d like to see His Serene Highness face-to-face.”

Ida-Ruth and Abigail exchanged a glance before nodding. “Go up the staircase and down the hallway,” explained Abigail. “His is the last door, marked with a crescent moon and a star.”

Mario picked up the small pot of soup and exited the kitchen. The staircase was a short distance away and not terribly tall, so Mario had no trouble carrying the soup up the stairs. The hallway, however, was rather long, so Mario was feeling a little sore by the time he reached the door with the star and crescent moon.

To Mario’s shock, the door opened without him touching it. He walked inside and nearly dropped the soup when the door closed on its own.

“The court magicians enchanted the door so that I wouldn’t have to leave the bed,” a raspy voice whispered. “Are you alright? You didn’t burn yourself with the soup, I hope?”

“The soup didn’t spill, Your Serene Highness.” Mario crossed the dark room to the bed, where the sovereign was barely visible under various quilts. “Do you need a light, Your Serene Highness?”

“The light makes my headache worse,” he whispered. “Abigail’s soup always smells wonderful – I don’t need to see it to recognize it.”

Mario carefully placed the soup on a small tray toward the middle of the bed. “I hope it helps, Your Serene Highness.”

“Thank you.” The sovereign rested his hand on Mario’s wrist. “If it doesn’t, will you be the one to bring me more?”

“Of course, Your Serene Highness.” Mario held back a sad sigh when his wrist was released. “Farewell, Your Serene Highness.”

“Farewell.” The sovereign’s voice already sounded less raspy.

Mario left the room quickly, the door once again opening and closing on its own. He couldn’t help tapping his wrist where the sovereign had rested his hand…it had been comforting in a way Mario hadn’t realized he needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll try to be faster with the rest of this story, I promise!!


	4. At the First Ball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mario is pleasantly surprised at the first ball.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know, this is long overdue! I'm sorry for making everyone wait! :( Things have been crazy, but now they're a little better.

The very next day, Abigail gleefully informed Mario that His Serene Highness had improved. "The first ball will take place tonight! I'll find you an outfit and a mask."

Mario blinked in surprise. "I'm allowed to attend?"

"Everyone attends the balls! We all want to celebrate with His Serene Highness!"

Mario spent most of the day helping Abigail prepare for the ball. It was less than an hour before the ball when Abigail left the kitchen for a few minutes and returned in a dark blue dress with thistles sewn on the hem. She slipped on a matching mask before giving Mario his outfit: black trousers, a white dress shirt, a black jacket with white trim, black shoes, and a white mask. "Get dressed!"

"Thank you," Mario whispered before going to his bedroom down the hall. The leaves slipped off his body on their own accord, just as had happened that night by the river. Mario put on the outfit and admired himself in the mirror before returning to the kitchen.

"Let's go!" Abigail and Mario brought the food to the ballroom and finished setting up moments before His Serene Highness and Josep entered in matching red outfits.

The music began playing immediately. When the sovereign held out his hand, Josep shook his head. "I don't dance, Your Serene Highness."

Abigail tsked softly behind Mario, who shook his head in disbelief - who would turn down a dance with one's fiancé at a ball meant to honor their engagement? The sovereign seemed completely unfazed, however, and simply turned to the noblewoman standing a few feet away. "Then may I have the honor of this opening dance with you, Lady Victoria?"

"The honor is mine, Your Serene Highness." She took his hand, and the music began.

As the night progressed, the sovereign danced with several of his guests, including Abigail and some other servants. Nevertheless, Mario was shocked when His Serene Highness stood before him with an outstretched hand and asked, "Will you dance with me?"

"Of course, Your Serene Highness." Mario took his hand and followed the sovereign's lead.

The sovereign directed them towards a balcony over the course of the song. When the song ended, he asked, "Will you join me out there?"

"Of course, Your Serene Highness." Mario followed him onto the balcony. "I am pleased to see you so greatly improved since yesterday, Your Serene Highness."

"Thank you." The sovereign sighed wistfully. "I hate to admit it, but I find myself doubting my fiancé. He seems to love giving me his spiced wine, but it leaves me feeling so...so uncomfortable, so strange."

"Would you like more soup tomorrow, Your Serene Highness?" Mario offered.

"Yes, please." The sovereign rested his hand on Mario's wrist, exactly as he had done the day before. "And you must be the one to bring it to me."

Mario nodded, not trusting his voice. He leaned forward slightly, as did the sovereign. Their eyes met, and Mario could feel his heart pounding in anticipation -

"OUT!"

The sovereign dropped Mario's wrist and took a step back at the sound of Josep shouting. They both returned to the ballroom, and the sovereign shouted, "What is going on here?!"

"That thing attacked me!" Josep pointed to Berni, who was growling more angrily than Mario had ever seen before. "It tried to rip me to bits!"

"Did you do anything to provoke such an attack?" His Serene Highness asked.

"Of course not!" Josep snapped. "It's a soulless creature with no need for provocation!"

Mario ignored the rest of the conversation and pondered what Josep had called Berni. Maybe there was a way around the spell after all...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I make no promises regarding when future chapters will be posted.

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback is always appreciated. <3


End file.
